In household living it is common for one or more occupants of a house to traverse bedroom or the living areas at night or under unlighted circumstances for which the occupants' feet are inadequately protected. Specifically, persons' feet may be bare or else be covered by nonprotective cloth slippers, thong sandals or the like. For example, an adult before going to bed, or in the process of going to bed, may switch off the room light and walk in a darkened room through a considerable room area to reach the bed. In another instance, a father or mother may rise from bed in the dark to attend a child. The appearance of a late caller, a telephone call, the need for a visit to the bathroom or a desire for a late snack may cause occupants of the house to traverse one or more bedrooms, bathrooms and living areas inadequately shod and with insufficient light.
In such cases, it is not uncommon for the said occupant to strike a toe or any part of the foot against a leg of a chair, table or bed. A particular offender, and one which may cause serious injury, such as a sprain or broken toe, are the caster supports for a Hollywood type bed. While injury to a particular furniture item is less of a problem than a painful toe strike, nevertheless, an early warning contact device might also serve to protect a valuable piece of furniture or parts thereof, particularly if such has been moved from an accustomed position in the house.
The situation described is not unique to households, however, or living or bedroom areas thereof. Certain kitchen or basement equipment may well have support beams, casters thereof for moving same across surface, or legs offering hazard to feet and toes. In fast food restaurants or catering areas at clubs or the like, often waitresses or waiters may be inadequately shod for protection. Such may be the case when food and/or drink is to be carried out into and returned from parking, beach, sand areas, pool areas and the like.
The need for protection to inadequately shod feet with respect to furniture legs, equipment supports, bed casters and the like is well known. The need for protection to furniture legs from the feet and shoes of even a shod person is sometimes also the case. The number of such zones and items to be protected may be considerable in a given household. Accordingly, it becomes a problem to provide adequate protection to the feet of human beings in certain furnished areas of equipment areas and, concomitantly, protection for equipment supports, furniture legs and the like from the feet of humans, all in efficiently simple, cheap, convenient and optionally or readily removable ways.